The Troy Arts Council Auxiliary will proudly unveil “A Troy Sampler: A Nostalgic Look at Troy, Alabama” at TroyFest this weekend.

“And all Trojans and all of those who have any connection to Troy will enjoy sampling this collection of artwork that historically depicts the city, said Susan Berry, a member of the TAC Auxiliary project committee.

“Actually, ‘The Troy Sampler’ has been available for a while but we haven’t really showcased it until now,” Berry said. “Our hopes were that it would be ready for TroyFest last year but, since we didn’t make it, this will be our public unveiling of this wonderful, artistic, pictorial history of our town.”

Berry said the Troy sampler project began with the “Scenes of Troy” art exhibit at the Colley Senior Complex.

“The sampler project was an outgrowth of that exhibit,” Berry said. “We had asked those who had artwork in the exhibit to sign a waiver giving the Auxiliary permission to use their artwork in a collection of pictures for a booklet about Troy.

“After the exhibit at the Colley Senior Complex, we got busy working on the project. Members of the Auxiliary selected the pieces of art that best represented Troy and honored its Southern charm and wrote the text for the pictures that were selected. We chose a Troy townscape by local artist, the late Marcia Rice, for the cover.”

The Troy sampler is dedicated to Mary Rawlins Hilyer, who was a beloved teacher in the Troy City School System and at Troy University.

“Mary shared so much of herself with her community and in so many ways,” Berry said. “She was a dedicated supporter of the arts. She was a longtime member of our Auxiliary and a patron of the Troy Arts Council. Mary was a true Southern lady. Her faith was evident in everything that did.”

“A Troy Sampler” includes artwork by Day Barnes, Mary Susan Berry, Jane Brantley, Judy Colley, Libby Doty, Les Faulk, Sally Fenn, Bill Flinn, Ann Gilchrist, Jean Lake, Joyce Lee, James C. Ludwig, Mary Page, Bill Porter, Phoebe Porter, Jo Rape, Marcia Rice, Chrissie Schubert, Alice Thornton, Ruth Walker and Joan Word.

“The ‘scenes’ include churches, schools, homes and businesses of historical significance,” Berry said. “The ‘Rock Building’ is also in there along with several tenant houses. It’s a very interesting and diverse collection. And, if you are Trojan or know someone who is, you’ll want ‘A Troy Sampler.’’

The “Sampler” is $10 and will be available at the Troy Arts Council Auxiliary booth in the TroyFest community corner on Saturday and Sunday.

Also available will be Troy townscape prints by Marsha Rice.

“We have only a very few of the townscapes that were signed by Marsha. They are $100 each,” Berry said. “The unsigned prints are $50.

The sale of “A Troy Sampler: A Nostalgic Look at Troy, Alabama,” and the Rice prints will benefit the Troy Arts Council’s programs and events.

The purpose of the TAC is to provide meaningful arts experiences for all citizens of Troy and Pike County.

National and international performing artists are brought to Troy each year by the TAC. Funds are provided to the city and county schools to provide support for the study of art, music and drama and a scholarship is awarded annually to a high school senior who plans to study visual arts in college.